自我信息识别优势——来自注意定向网络的证据

Cognitive advantage for self-information:Evidence from the orienting network of attention

研究采用注意网络测验任务(attention network test, ANT),分别检验自我相关信息在注意的警觉、定向和执行控制网络上的加工效率差异,以揭示自我信息识别优势的注意机制。实验1考察了面孔类型(自我面孔或他人面孔)在3种注意网络下的加工效率差异;实验2采用自我联结学习范式对实验1进行验证;实验3将颜色类型(红色或绿色)作为目标刺激,面孔类型作为背景,以考察任务无关自我信息是否对注意网络加工效率有影响。研究结果发现,当自我信息为目标时,个体在注意定向网络上存在加工效率优势,而警觉和执行控制网络上没有加工效率差异。当自我相关信息与任务无关时,在注意的警觉、定向和执行控制网络中均未表现出加工效率优势。说明了自我信息的注意优势发生在注意定向网络上,且受任务优先性影响。

The cognitive advantage of self-related information using various stimuli has been established in several studies. To explore the mechanism for this effect, this study examined the attention functions in the process of self-related information. By adopting the Attention Network Test （ANT）, this study compared the process of self-related information to that of friend-related information in alerting, orienting and executive control networks. In Experiment 1, participants were assigned a classic ANT task in which arrow stimuli were replaced by face stimuli. In each trial, a test array consisted of one central target and four flanker stimuli. Participants were instructed to pay attention to the central target and judge whether the image was a self-face or a friend-face. Each test array was preceded by one of four cues, namely centre, double, spatial and none. Results showed that participants had a stable advantage in processing self-face. Specifically, the efficiency of orienting on self-face was significantly larger than on friend-face.In Experiment 2, a recently developed self-associated learning approach was employed to exclude the possible confounding of face familiarity. The stimuli used in Experiment 2 were geometric shapes that were temporarily associated with self or friend or had no social meaning. The result was consistent with that in Experiment 1. Self-associated shapes displayed advantages on orienting efficiency compared to friend-associated and non-social-meaning shapes. This finding implied that the improvement of orienting network on self-information processing was due to the important meanings in self-information apart from the simple familiarity of self-face. In Experiment 3, the processing priority of orienting network on self-face no longer existed when the task was to determine the colour of the face. This condition indicated that the cognitive advantage for self-information in orienting network was influenced by task requirements. In summary, this study found that among the three attention networks, only orienting network displayed a processing priority of self-related information and, therefore, played a more important role in self-processing advantage. Such advantage occurred only when self-information was task-related. By contrast, no special biases on self-related information processing were found in the alerting and executive control networks.